Ranger's Bed
by J R Mai
Summary: One Shot – Stephanie decides to be bold and tell Ranger she's ready for more, but the conversation doesn't go quite the way she expected. A highly requested Babe short, with a little MaybeHEA mixed in.


Ranger had seen from the log that Stephanie was in the building. Got the text from Tank when she went up to seven and vanished into his apartment. Hadn't come down. He cut his meeting short just to head back to Rangeman. Hoping to catch her while she was still in his space.

He was curious why she'd come to visit. She wasn't in danger. He knew that for certain. Made it his business to know. What wasn't his business, but he knew anyway thanks to some overly detailed reports, was that she hadn't spent the night at Morelli's place in a couple weeks. And that if Morelli was visiting her at her apartment, he wasn't staying over. None of his men had seen Morelli's green SUV in her lot while on patrol. Not that he'd asked them to look. What she chose to do with the cop was her own business. But it might be a good indicator that they were on the outs again. Could be she tracked mud up his stairs, or forgot to buy milk, or some equally moronic kind of couple stuff bullshit.

Morelli was such an idiot. Steph was an incredible woman. She was smart. Sexy. Playful. Resourceful and resilient. With almost no understanding of what she was really capable of when she put her mind to something. If Ranger was in Morelli's position, there was no way in hell he would ever let something trivial get between them. She was so much more important to him than milk or bread.

Ranger didn't check in on 5 before he went up to his penthouse apartment. He thought she'd be waiting in his kitchen when he got inside. Or maybe watching TV in his den. Nothing. Not a sound. He thought for a second that they'd missed her leaving somehow. Or failed to log it. Then he spotted her bag on the dining room table. Car keys next to it.

He listened again. "Babe?"

Then he caught the rustle of sheets coming from his bedroom and a wolf grin lifted his face. She was in his bed. Taking a nap, no doubt. Whatever she needed his help with, it was keeping her up at night. Well. Who was he to deny her the courtesy? In fact. Maybe he should get in next to her. Just to keep her company. The grin widened.

Ranger let the slow, steady pace draw out the pleasure of the moment. Teasing her was often the highlight of his week. Especially when she made that cute little glare. He leaned on the doorframe and looked over her. And then his heart stopped. The rest of him coming to attention.

She was naked.

Parts of her might have been covered with his high thread count ivory sheets, but he knew her body well enough to be certain. Her curves were unrestrained. The peak of her nipples showing through the Egyptian cotton. He tore his eyes away and looked at the puddle of clothes on the floor. A pair of turquoise lace panties draped across the top.

God. Wishes really do come true.

His body was humming. A slow chant of _take her, take her, take her_ drumming up from the most headstrong parts of his anatomy. But his head knew better. Climbing on top of her and kissing her awake would be an easy solution to the frightening state he'd found himself in. It would have also been very _very_ stupid. He had no idea what brought her to his bed. Naked. And rushing in like a charging bull just to get a little sexual satisfaction could cause way more problems than it solved.

"Babe."

It took her a second to wake up. The first thing she realized was that Ranger was standing in the open doorway. Leaning against the frame in such a casual way that you wouldn't think there was a naked woman in his bed. Jeez. Not the reaction she'd expected.

He was watching her carefully. The slight crinkle of amusement in his eyes. "I don't remember this part of the Goldilocks story."

"Well. It is a children's book."

The corner of his mouth twitched like he was thinking about smiling. "And what happens after the bear finds Goldilocks in his bed. Does he get to eat her?"

Steph wasn't usually the blushing type, but that one sent a rush of heat all across her body. This wasn't going to way she thought. Ranger seemed to sense that. Crossing his arms over his lickable chest. She chewed her lip. Really not going the way the she thought!

"What's going on, Babe?"

"I don't know. This started off a little differently in my head."

"And how did that go?"

"Honestly? A little less awkward and a lot more naked."

"Is that what you want?"

"I don't know anymore. I'm kind of confused."

Ranger studied her for a long, agonizing second. Giving nothing away. Then he pushed off from the doorframe. Walked toward her at a leisurely pace. Angry butterflies were fighting in her stomach when he settled next to her on the edge of his bed. "What are you confused about, Steph?"

She hadn't realized she was worrying her lip again until Ranger lifted his thumb to her chin to stop her. Brushing a light touch across her bottom lip. His dark eyes were on it too. Like he might be thinking about kissing her. Then they moved back to meet her gaze. "What do you want from me?"

God. So many things. Her heart was pounding so hard in her chest that there was no way he couldn't hear it. Say it. Just say it. You came all the way over here. And you got in his bed. Naked! There's no backing out of this one. No matter how chickenshit you are. She closed her eyes and sucked in a breath. Pretending he wasn't there. "I had something to say, but I thought I'd be saying it after."

"After?" he said with an obvious smile. Damn him. "So your intention was to seduce me so that I was in a good enough mood for you to ask a favor? Is it really that bad?"

"No! I don't know. Maybe."

"Now I'm intrigued."

Way to go, Stephanie. Now he's intrigued. She felt the mattress move under her leg and she knew he was laughing.

"Babe, whatever it is, we'll handle it. You don't have to sully your good reputation to get my help. Though, if the help you need is directly related to your current condition, I'm all ears."

"God, you're so impossible!"

He laughed again. She was working her way toward an impressive head of steam when he leaning in close. Invading her airspace in a way that made her lungs stupid. His lips brushed her cheek. Her ear. His voice soft and velvet. "Just say it, Babe."

"I want to see where this goes."

The words fell out of her without passing through her brain. She didn't dare look at him. Even when he drew back enough to see her squeezed shut eyes. "This?"

It took all of her courage to nod.

He was quiet a second. Maybe digesting that. Maybe figuring out how to shut her down in a way that would still involve sex. Though, if that was his primary goal he probably would have lead with that, since she was already naked. "What about Morelli?"

That surprised her enough that she looked at him. "This isn't about Morelli."

"It's always about Morelli."

She shook her head again.

She hadn't realized it right away, but it actually hadn't been about Morelli in a long time. She loved him. They had a long history together. A pretty intense one that went all the way back to childhood, when a little horndog Joe Morelli had talked her into playing choo choo in his father's garage. For the last few years, he'd been circling her like a comet. Playing a much more adult version of the game while trying to make a relationship work. Trouble was, their maturity level hadn't progressed quite as far as their libidos. It took her a long time to realize the only thing about them that worked consistently was the sex. Morelli was a good man. He was caring, and cuddly, and satisfying. And safe. And that was it. They loved each other. Sometimes they even tried to get serious. But at the end of the day, Morelli was the safe option. The man she went back to because she knew he couldn't break her heart.

Because he didn't have the whole thing.

Ranger, on the other hand, was the opposite of safe. He had a dark and mysterious past. An even more mysterious future. Even his present was pretty mysterious most of the time. But no matter how much she tried to ignore him. No matter how hard she fought to keep from getting sucked into his gravitational pull, he was still there in the back of her mind. Oozing in like smoke under a door.

She loved him too. Like a moth loves the flame. And that terrified her.

His warm hand caressed her cheek. "Babe. What's going on in your head?"

That was the problem. She didn't know. Her plan seemed so clever at the time. Wait in his bed for him to come home. Let the fire and magic remind him of how good they were together. And then bring up making the conditions a little more steady. More official. She hadn't counted on a levelheaded Ranger. And she definitely hadn't factored in how powerless she would feel talking about relationships and Morelli with a fully dressed and calm Batman while she was wrapped in nothing but a sheet.

A smile pulled at his mouth like he'd read her thoughts. "Would you rather get dressed to have this conversation? Or would you like me to even the playing field?"

Oh boy.

He didn't wait for her to answer. Just stripped off his shirt and dropped it over her head. It was still warm. The scent of his shower gel lingering. She let it fall into place and gathered up the neckline, hugging it to her chin as much to hide her embarrassment as to enjoy the intimacy of it. And then there was the sight of a shirtless Ranger sitting on the bed next to her. That was a pretty effective distraction.

"Better?" he asked, almost smirking.

"Much. Thank you."

"Anytime, Babe." He was still laughing at her. It was easier to appreciate it, though, now that she was as dressed as he was. His caressing touch moved across her cheek and down her neck, warming her body in a very nice way. "Would you like to try again?"

No. But she'd come this far already. Might as well do the screw up properly. She drew in a deep breath and let it out all at once. "I want to see where this goes. Between us," she clarified. In case he hadn't caught that.

"Should I gather that you've ended things with Morelli?"

"There wasn't anything to end. Not really. We broke up months ago. It's just that neither of us really realized it."

"And you've realized it now?"

"I'm not exactly the sharpest knife in the drawer."

She was amusing him again. "Babe, you're plenty sharp. You've just got a couple blind spots. We all have them."

"Yeah, right. Name one blind spot of yours."

His chocolate eyes held hers. A slight raise to his brow. It made her insides get squishy again. He searched her carefully. "Morelli is a good man who loves you."

"You love me too."

"I do. More than I should."

"What does that mean?"

"It means you deserve better than what I can offer."

"And what is that?"

Holding onto those deep brown eyes was intimidating. He was looking so deep into her that she wondered if he could see her soul. She tried to stand her ground. Match his intensity. But her nerves got the better of her and she dropped her gaze to the plains and valleys of his sculpted, bare mocha chest.

Ranger studied her for a long, silent moment. She was more rumpled than most women would prefer when trying to have a conversation of this magnitude, especially with a man like him, but there was something endearing about the way her chocolate curls went crazy after she'd fallen asleep in his bed. And those eyes. Pools of liquid sky that saw through him and his hard demeanor. From the first day he met her, he knew she was different. Bold and brave and unafraid of a man that made professional bad guys wet their pants. Teasing him like he was any other friend.

Ranger didn't have a lot of friends. He could count the people he trusted on one hand. She was one of them. And now she was asking him how much trust she could put in him. How much faith he deserved. The answer to that was obvious. None.

"Steph, I can't give you what Morelli can. I'm not exactly relationship material."

"News flash. We already have a relationship."

That was probably true. It was just that neither of them were getting what they really wanted out of it. Her eyes sprang up to his like she'd heard his thoughts. God. If she could climb into his head he'd be in so much trouble. She'd run from him and never look back.

Those transparent eyes studied him. Dissected him, in fact. Like she'd never seen anything like him before. "What do you want?" she asked him at last.

God, so many things. Starting with a slow, erotic tour of all her best parts, ending in the crashing cymbals of the 1812 overture. But what he really wanted was her. As his. In his bed every night. In his life every day. He wanted to find the redemption he needed to deserve her.

"It doesn't matter what I want."

"Of course it matters."

"This wouldn't be good for either of us. You love Morelli."

"I love you too."

She clapped a hand over her mouth like she'd said a dirty word. And maybe she had. He felt a strange punch in his gut that could only be shock. Like the way his mother reacted when he said something rude in front of her. She couldn't have meant it. Not the way it sounded.

"It's not the same," he said.

"You're right. What I feel for Morelli doesn't scare the shit out of me."

The words had been almost a whisper. Like she hadn't meant him to hear it. For a moment, it was hard not to wonder if it was true. Maybe Stephanie Plum actually did love him. He knew she was attracted to him. Knew their friendship was just a little too deep to be normal. But love…

He tried to push it away. If she loved him even half as much as her loved her, they were both in very big trouble. "Babe, I can't make you any promises."

"I'm not asking for any."

"I can't be open with you either. There are parts of my life I'll never share with you."

"I can be good with that."

He raised an eyebrow. "Really?"

"What?"

"Babe."

"Okay, so it might drive me crazy a little. But that doesn't mean we shouldn't try it."

"Where is this coming from?"

She sighed. Dropping her eyes to his chest again. "Do you want the short answer or the long answer."

"Let's start short and see where it leads."

"Okay, so, you know that we've been doing this thing for a while now. The flirting and the kisses. And you know I'm attracted to you. Like, _so_ attracted to you. And I also have these other feelings that I tried really hard to ignore, but I couldn't. And then we were in Hawaii and—"

"This is the short version?"

"Ugh! What I'm trying to say is that I have feelings for you. Like, real feelings. Not just sex feelings. And I thought that because you didn't want a relationship, and you loved me 'in your own way', that it was smarter to pretend I didn't."

"Sound logic."

"But I'm tired of pretending. The truth is, I really liked being with you in Hawaii. And I know you don't want this. I know you think this is a really dumb idea, and maybe it is. But I kind of want to see for myself. Even if I have to leave your bed eventually," she said. Staring so hard at his chest that he almost missed the glistening in her eyes. That broke his heart. Something he didn't think was possible anymore. He hadn't said that to suggest there would be an expiration date on anything that happened between them. It was meant as a warning that she wouldn't be happy indefinitely. He knew her better than that. Steph was too independent and curious to be satisfied with what little of himself he could offer. She would sense it when he had to hold back. Pry when his answers weren't good enough. And if he did try to tell her about his past…

He could never go there. Not with a girl who got squeamish over blood and dead bodies. A girl who was afraid of her own gun because she understood just how dangerous it was. Ranger was a loaded weapon. A handcrafted monster who'd done haunting things in the service of his country. Things he didn't even realize had damaged him until he'd come home and met a sweet, stunning, tenacious woman who refused to take him seriously. A woman who tried to save him every bit as much as he tried to save her.

"I still can't pay the price right now."

"Maybe never?"

"Maybe never."

"And you don't want to."

She'd cut straight to the heart of him without so much as blinking. He couldn't tell her that. Couldn't even imply it. Because the truth was it was all he wanted. Hell, he wanted it even more than he wanted redemption. Or air. And the way she was looking at him it was hard to remember that he was holding back because she deserved better.

Her breath caught. Christ. She'd seen it.

"Babe, I'm trying to do the right thing here."

It was too late. She'd seen something in his pause that told her the truth. And from the change in her body language she'd just realized she had more power in this than he did. That intoxicating little light sparked in her eyes, burning out the doubts. She let the sheet fall to her lap and he could see the outline of her body through his black cotton shirt. His name clearly marked on her breast. She had his name on her. That struck him as funny. Especially given the way she rose up onto her knees. Her creamy white legs shining long and slender because his shirt only came down far enough to cover her best parts. She came very close. Wrapping her arms around his neck. Holding him prisoner.

"I want to see where this goes between us." This time said with the kind of authority born from knowing she had the upper hand. He couldn't fight the smile. His hands finding her waist.

"And you think it's that easy?"

She nodded. Shifting until she could slip a knee around his other side, seating herself across his lap like she owned him. Which she did. Trouble. "I do. And I'll tell you why."

"I'm dying to know."

Her body lifted just enough when she adjusted that he caught a glimpse of the promised land. A sharp reminder that she wasn't wearing anything under his t-shirt. As if he could have forgotten. He cradled her to support her weight. Gathering her against him in the effort. The coy smile made his pulse jump. Made him hard. Something she no doubt felt the way she was pressing into him. She leaned even closer, putting her lips on his ear. "Because you always give me what I want."

The laughter took him so fast that he had to tighten his grip to keep from dropping her. He fell back on the bed, taking her with him. He rolled her under him when she tried to sit up. Taking the upper hand back, even if he'd lost the power. "That's it, is it?"

She nodded. "Yep. It's that simple."

He let his hands wander over her until she was squirming. So turned on that she was practically whimpering. He found her center, unencumbered by the lace panties she'd discarded. Stroking her in all the ways she liked best. "And if I agree to this," he said, rewarded with a gasp when he slipped a finger inside. "What do you expect it would entail?"

She didn't seem able to answer. He chuckled again. "Stephanie."

"What?"

"You want to be mine?"

She nodded again. It didn't even seem possible.

"What about Morelli? I don't share."

"You won't have to," she panted. She was ready.

He relieved her of her shirt and stripped off the last of his clothes. Joining with her until he heard her gasp. She was coming already. He sank into it. Catching the tail end of the orgasm and pushing through so that he could drive her higher. Giving her every part of him he could in an act of love so primal and pure that they might have shared the same soul for a moment when they both came apart. She clung to his neck, her whole body twitching in aftershock. Trembling like she did after adrenaline took her and then burned away. It was a while before she found her breath. He rolled on his back and tugged her on top of him. Relishing the way she lay boneless over his body. He laughed softly, kissing her temple.

"Are you sure?" he asked her.

"Pretty sure."

"What are we talking about here? Public knowledge? Labels?"

"Labels are good."

"What label would you be looking for?"

She thought about that a second. "Girlfriend seems weird."

He chuckled. "Not that weird. Maybe it'll grow on you."

"Maybe," she agreed. Unable to hide a dopey grin.

"Does this mean you want to share my closet?"

"I'll think about it. Don't want to rush anything, right?"

"Right." He kissed her temple again. It wasn't like he could go in any less deep with her now that the barrier had been obliterated. But if she needed patience, he could give her patience. He was well practiced at waiting for her to be ready. "This doesn't mean I'll be dragged to your mother's house every week for dinner."

"Is Batman afraid of my crazy little family?"

"Yes."

She burst out laughing. The rhythm of it doing very nice things to him. He rolled her on her back again. Kissing her lips thoughtfully. "I can't believe you talked me into this." She shrugged, hiding the wicked grin behind the innocence. "Don't expect to always get your way."

"You like to let me have my way."

"Only when you're very good. And it doesn't jeopardize your safety."

She smiled up at him. "You love me."

The laugh rocked his chest. "Yes. I love you."

"You know what I realized?"

"Tell me."

"I love you, too."

As incredible was that seemed to him, he could see in her eyes that she meant it. Might have known it a while, like he had. There was no guarantee that things would turn out well. One of the reasons he'd held back in the first place. But now that she was finally his it was hard to worry about what might happen tomorrow. Or the next day. Or a year from now. He'd take as many days as she was willing to give. With any luck, that would be a good, long time.


End file.
